"Smart HDTVs will be a big trend at CES 2012. Nearly every major brand will release major updates to existing lines along with completely new products. However, Samsung has long sold a successful line of smart TVs, but a just-released CES 2012 teaser video shows the upcoming models will be a bit different. They're going to ditch remotes. These HDTVs look to be controlled by mobile devices.

The teaser video only shows a few quick seconds but it's the logical next step. Smartphone remotes for Google TV are nothing new. Both Google and Logitech released apps shortly after the platform debuted in 2010. Samsung, already a pro at smart TVs and Android, will likely release a bespoke solution crafted just for Samsung devices.

The bigger question involves the fate of the current line of Samsung Smart TVs. An Android-powered version seems inevitable but the company has so far seen success with its current, non-Android platform. Last January, company proudly proclaimed 2 million apps were downloaded to Samsung Smart TVs. Despite previous statements, Samsung could be completely abandoning its current platform for the new kid in town: Google TV and/or Android."

"Even though all signs indicate Samsung will be joining the Google TV party shortly, it's not going to give up on its own existing Smart TV platform just yet.

We don't know if it will run the two side by side as it has operated with Yahoo! Widgets, but the Korean manufacturer has announced it plans to release version 3.0 of its SDK January 5th.

The new Samsung Apps toolkit supports mobile devices and TV sets, and lets developers build in support for remote controls, as well as USB mice, keyboards or gamepads. Of course, not all devs will work for free, so they're also adding a way for them to get paid through the built-in payment system or advertisements.

Currently, Samsung claims 25,000 developers from 140 countries in its forums, but we'll have to wait until CES 2012 to find out if its products live up to the hype and attract more innovative software to the segment."